Apparatus for disassembling a rotor from its support bearing



July 13, 196 R. BRUNELL ETAL APPARATUS FOR DISASSEMBLING A ROTOR FROM 11's SUPPORT BEARING Filed Oct. 12. 1961 United States Patent M 3,193,916 APPARATUS FGR DlSAisdEMBLlNG A RUTGR FRGM lTS SUPPGRT BEARING Richard L. Brunell and Sterling R. Holly, Wellsviile, N.Y.,

assignors, by mesne assignments, to Cor'nbustion Engineering, Inc, a stock corporation of Delaware Filed Get. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 144,7tltl 4 Claims. (ill. 29-24tll The present invention relates to rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus and more specifically to a simplified rotor lifting arrangement adapted to lift the rotor independent of its bearing support to permit removal of the bearing for purposes of replacement or repair.

A rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprises a rotor including a cylindrical shell joined to a rotor post by radial partitions that form compartments carrying heat absorbent material that is alternately contacted by a heating gas and air or other fluid to be heated. The rotor is rotatably mounted on hearing means in a cylindrical housing having end or sector plates formed with openings that permit the flow therethrough of the gas and air as the rotor is rotated about its axis.

Whenever it becomes necessary to raise the rotor to permit removal of its support bearing, a customary arrangement permits insertion of a mechanical or hydraulic jack through limited access means in the rotor housing in order that the lifting force of the jack may be applied directly against the rotor to raise it from its bearing support. This arrangement requires the stand by availability of several jacking means for simultaneous use in order that the rotor may be lifted evenly on all sides. Since each jacking means must be an independent unit capable of applying an independent lifting force to the rotor, this arrangement is quite complicated and is provided only at a substantial cost.

The present invention attempts to provide a simple jacking arrangement which when actuated by the force used to rotate the rotor about its axis, effectively jacks or raises the rotor axially with respect to the rotor housing to remove the entire weight of the rotor from its support bearing. When the rotor is thus supported to release the bearing from its usual function, the bearing may be repaired or removed as may be required.

Of particular importance is the fact that the jacking structure of this invention is simple to use, positive in its action, and is produced at relatively little expense. The arrangement will be best understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a rotary regenerative heat exchanger showing the location of the jacking means.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational veiw in section of a rotary regenerative heat exchanger embodying the invention.

FEGURE 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic representation showing the details of the jacking means.

In the drawings a cylindrical rotor shell is joined to a rotor post 12 by radial partitions 14 that provide a series of sectorial compartments therebetween for a mass of perforate heat absobrent element 16 which first absorbs heat from hot gas or other heating fluid entering the heat exchanger through a duct 18 from a boiler or other source to be discharged, after passing over the heated element, through an outlet duct 22 to which an induced draft fan is ilsually connected. As the rotor is turned slowly about its axis, the heated element 16 is moved into the stream of air admitted through a duct 24. After passing over the element 16 and absorbing heat there from the stream of air is directed to a boiler furnace or other place of use through a duct 26. The rotor shell is 3,193,916 Patented July 13, 1965 enclosed in a housing 28 having apertured end plates'32 at opposite ends thereof that connect to the inlet and outlet ducts for the air and gas. The rotor is rotated about its axis by a drive motor 34 and reduction gearing-bearing arrangement shown diagrammatically at 36. An auxiliary drive motor 38 is coupled to this arrangement to. provide a source of emergency or secondary driving power for the rotor. A guide bearing 42 at the opposite end of the rotor precludes lateral displacement of the rotor while it permits limited axial movement as may be required to provide an optimum sealing arrangement between the rotor and its surrounding housing.

In accordance with the invention a series of rotor ledges 44 are evenly spaced about the outer periphery of the rotor shell in a plane defined by an annulus concentric with the rotor post. A series of housing ledge members 46 similarly spaced about the inner periphery of the rotor housing are disposed subjacent the plane of the rotor ledges 44 to provide an axial spacing therebetween. A hand hole including a removable cover plate 48 is provided in the housing directly above each housing ledge member 46. The hand holes are adapted to permit access from outside the housing to the spacing between axially aligned ledge members. The rotor ledge members 44 are each provided with fore and aft tapered surfaces 50 separated by an intermediate plane surface 52 substantially parallel to the surface of the spaced housing ledge members 46. For each rotor ledge member there is provided an independent cylindrical or spherical roller 54 having a diameter somewhat greater than the minimum distance it between parallel surfaces of axially spaced ledges. Subsequent positioning of the rollers into the space bu tween axially aligned ledges will cause the rotor and its concentric shaft to lie lifted free and independent from its bearing to permit its removal or replacement when the rotor is rotated sufficiently to advance the rollers up the tapered surface 59 to the plane surface 52.

When it becomes necessary to raise or jack the rotor with respect to its surrounding housing structure for release of the bearing, the first step is to remove each of cover plates 43 and rotate the rotor slowly, preferably by the use of auxiliary drive motor 38, until an opposed pair of rotor and housing ledge members are circumferentially displaced so that the leading tapered edge 50 of the rotor ledge member lies over the rear portion of the plane housing ledge 46 in the manner shown in FIGURE 3. Since all rotor and housing ledge members are similarly spaced they will of necessity have the same relationship, and hardened steel rollers 54 may be inserted through the handholes into the tapered space between each pair of axially spaced ledges. Cylindrical rollers are disposed radialy and wedged into the tapered space whereby rotation of the rotor will advance each roller up the tapered surface 50 until it reaches the plane surface 52. As the rollers advance in this manner the rotor is raised a distance not to exceed the height h of the tapered surface. Even though the initial spacing of the ledge members is such as to not permit raising the rotor the full height h, merely raising the rotor a fraction of this amount is sufficient to release the hearing from its support function and to permit its removal. 7

After the bearing has been repaired or replaced as required, it is only necessary to further activate the auxiliary drive motor to advance the rotor slowly and subsequently move the rollers 54 down the trailing edge 51 of the tapered rotor ledge until the weight of the rotor is again entirely carried by the bearing. As the rollers 54 are freed from their support function they may be removed from the housing. and cover plates 48 may be re placed on the handholes to again place the heat exchanger in operating condition.

While this invention has been described with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, it is apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the 'inventiomand it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.-

-We claimzi i T I 1. Apparatus for disassembling a rotor 'from its support bearing in an assembly having an upright rotor'including a cylindrical rotor shell joined to a central rotor post by radial partitions to form a seriesof sectoral compartments therebetween, a mass of perforate heat absorbent material carried in the compartments of the rotor, a cylindrical housing surrounding said rotor including end plates at V opposite ends thereof apertured to direct a flow of heating fluid andcfluid to be heated through spaced portions of the rotor, bearing means supporting said rotor for rota-t tion about its axis, means for rotating said rotor about its axis, said disassembly apparatus comprising ledge means I disposed cireumferentially about the inner'periphery of the rotor housing, a plurality of axially inclined ledge members circumferentially arranged about the outer surface of the rotor shell above said ledge means to provide a maxirriumand minimum spacing between confronting surfacescof the ledge means and ledge members, and disassembling means for insertion between said ledge means and ledge members, said disassembly means adapted to raise said rotor free of its support bearing when advanced into'the'minimum spacing between ledge members and ledge means to permit removal of the bearing for repair or replacement. V a

2. Apparatus for disassembling a rotor from its support bearing as defined in claim 1 wherein said disassembling means comprises a roller having a diameter greater than said minimum and less than said maximum spacing. 3. Apparatus for disassembling a rotor from its support hearing as defined in claim 1 wherein said inclined ledge members include an inclined leading edge and an inclined trailing edge separated by a plane'surface that lies'substantially parallel tothe ledges on the housing.

7 4. Apparatus for disassembling a rotor from its support bearing as defined in claim 3 wherein said disassembling means comprises a roller for insertion between confronting surfaces ofthe ledge means and ledge members, said roller adapted to roll relative to the inclined ledge member to raise the rotor free of its support bearing when the rotor is rotated about its axis.

References Cited by the Examiner f UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. APPARATUS FOR DISASSEMBLING A ROTOR FROM ITS SUPPORT BEARING IN AN ASSEMBLY HAVING AN UPRIGHT ROTOR INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL ROTOR SHELL JOINED TO A CENTRAL ROTOR POST BY RADIAL PARTITIONS TO FORM A SERIES OF SECTORAL COMPARTMENTS THEREBETWEEN, A MASS OF PERFORATE HEAT ABSORBENT MATERIAL CARRIED IN THE COMPARTMENTS OF THE ROTOR, A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID ROTOR INCLUDING END PLATES AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF APERTURED TO DIRECT A FLOW OF HEATING FLUID AND FLUID TO BE HEATED THROUGH SPACED PORTIONS OF THE ROTOR, BEARING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID ROTOR FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR ABOUT ITS AXIS, SAID DISASSEMBLY APPARATUS COMPRISING LEDGE MEANS DISPOSED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ABOUT THE INNER PERIPHERY OF THE ROTOR HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY INCLINED LEDGE MEMBERS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ARRANGED ABOUT THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE ROTOR SHELL ABOVE SAID LEDGE MEANS TO PROVIDE A MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM SPACING BETWEEN CONFRONTING SURFACES OF THE LEDGE MEANS AND LEDGE MEMBERS, AND DISASSEMBLING MEANS FOR INSERTION BETWEEN SAID LEDGE MEANS AND LEDGE MEMBERS, SAID DISASSEMBLY MEANS ADAPTED TO RAISE SAID ROTOR FREE OF ITS SUPPORT BEARING WHEN ADVANCED INTO THE MINIMUM SPACING BETWEEN LEDGE MEMBERS AND LEDGE MEANS TO PERMIT REMOVAL OF THE BEARING FOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. 